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Today

Today over 100,000 cases- when are the awful gov. going to take this seriously?

Helen Bamberger ● 1737d37 Comments

With same paltry level of alleged covi-bio deaths. Get a grip.

Michael Brown ● 1737d

As usual a typical reply

Helen Bamberger ● 1737d

Don't worry the more people that catch covid the higher probability it will mutate into a version that will kill everyone.

Peter Johnson ● 1737d

Have to laugh but this isn’t a joke - we all need government proper guidance and we are not getter any - no wonder we are all confused.

Helen Bamberger ● 1737d

What is there to be 'confused' about ?.Genuine question, I don't see there is anything to be confused about.

Adam Beamish ● 1737d

Confused because we are told different messages from the gov. and the different messages from the scientific people- - that’s all.

Helen Bamberger ● 1737d

Just follow the advice of scientists. The government is useless and all decisions are made to try to keep a grip on their political futures. They put themselves first.

Steve Taylor ● 1737d

Not sure what is confusing.  Wear a mask when going inside shops, on public transport etc.. Moderation in socializing and take lateral flow tests on a regular basis.The latest data is encouraging - whilst cases are high, and rising, deaths are on a downward trend -and the actual data from South Africa supports the idea that Omicron may be less dangerous.Vaccinations are at a satisfactory daily level of nearly 1 million - even some of the people who had avoided any vaccination are getting a shot.  We are nearly at 90% of eligible population having the first shot and those getting a second shot are catching up.  We are at the point that by mid February, possibly by end of January, everyone (excluding those who have a genuine medical reason for not being vaccinated and the selfish idiots who simply refuse to be vaccinated) over the age of 12 will have had 3 shots of the vaccine.

Justin Stephenson ● 1737d

Yep, what Justin said.I do think it's absolutely laughable though how how every Government here is acting as though the time up to and inluding Christmas Day is sacrosanct, but then plans to bring in draconian restrictions immediately afterwards.  Like how there will be 3000 people at the Ally Pally tonight watching the darts, and then zero (in all likelihood) when play resumes on 27th.

Adam Beamish ● 1737d

I agree - just follow the science- forget Boris !!!

Helen Bamberger ● 1737d

The problem is that the government's policy (or rather lack of it) is being driven by Johnson's idiocy and political expediency (as always), rather than the national interest. I think all of us will have our personal memories of what was going on in our own lives, or in those close to us, last summer when Johnson was having his garden parties (with Hancock present – despite his protestations that he was working flat out to “save lives”) and also over Christmas.So Johnson, still hostage to his looney carpet bagger backbenchers (who remember brought us Brexit) cannot politically afford to tell us to do what needs to be done for the safety of us all whilst the general outrage continues about his own parties last Christmas.  He has lost the little authority he ever had.So we suffer whilst Johnson fiddles and England burns.

T P Howell ● 1737d

And certainly dont follow steve, Im with Justin

Julian Pavey ● 1737d

'So Johnson, still hostage to his looney carpet bagger backbenchers (who remember brought us Brexit) cannot politically afford to tell us to do what needs to be done for the safety of us all whilst the general outrage continues about his own parties last Christmas.  He has lost the little authority he ever had.'Spot on!

Vanessa Smith ● 1737d

And dont follow professor Neil "lockdown" Ferguson,he will have you caged up for the next ten years on beans and rice

Julian Pavey ● 1737d

We need to just follow the superior governments of Germany, France and The Netherlands. Our lot are inept.

Steve Taylor ● 1736d

I am with Justin and Julian government made the right call, no lockdown we can be trusted to behave sensible, most of us actually do value our life and will follow the guidance which is very clear. Omicron is milder, vaccinations a fantastic success. Every country is struggling but despite London being the epicentre right now, hospitalisations and deaths are stable. Let’s be a lot more position and whilst being careful we can still get on with life.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1736d

Deaths ,although tragic (obviously),are one thing,but the debillitating effects of long covid should not be dismissed,These have catasrophic consequences for the individual and their families and huge financial costs to the state and the economy generally.I expect many forummers will have experience of chronic conditions be they their own or others.I worked in a software company years ago where I read an article in a military magazine which is pertinent to the current situation: it said that it was far more destructive to an adversary to incapicitate their soldiers than kill them outright (nuclear annhilation aside)as the resources needed to keep them alive had the potential to cripple their economy.These league tables of deaths per day are important but it's not the whole story.

Ben Gemmingen ● 1736d

Hounslow vaccination rate for 1 dose 70%, two doses 63%. More than 1 in 3 not double vaccinated in Hounslow.

Peter Johnson ● 1736d

".... hospitalisations and deaths are stable"!!!!!That's okay then (#sarcasm emoji#).But yes, on the whole, the UK population has responded sensibly. Way ahead of the government.  Unfortunately, there is still a recidivist 20% / 30% who either don't care about their fellow citizens (as can been seen on public transport), or who are just barking and think this is all a media or illuminati conspiracy (including the former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Lord Ashcroft).

T P Howell ● 1736d

I think we should follow the carpenter!

Basil Finnis ● 1736d

We live in a democracy, I think anyone who hasn’t had the vaccines is completely selfish, thankfully something like 90% of the population has now had a first dose so fingers crossed more people come forward. I find it incredible that 130,000 frontline staff haven’t had their first vaccine that is shocking. They are supposed to care for vulnerable people utter madness on their part. This is a world pandemic, let try and be positive our vaccine programme is something to be truly proud of and let’s pray that with each mutation anywhere in the world it gets weaker so we can start to plan our lives again with confidence.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1736d

A few thoughts. Hospitalisations in London are rising and inevitably will rise further given the extraordinarily rapid growth of omicron even though it appears less severe. Wish I could incorporate some graphs here but look eg at the 2nd graph down in this sky news article https://news.sky.com/story/omicron-what-do-covid-hospitalisation-figures-in-london-tell-us-about-how-severe-the-new-variant-is-12501451Key issue is the capacity of the NHS to respond to emergencies, with staff themselves off sick.  Seems to me a real risk that in London at least the NHS will be overwhelmed soon into the New Year. So further measures are inevitable even if it’s not a full lockdown (I thought even ‘prof Lockdown’ to use that tabloid put down, was against another lockdown)On a personal level if you want to reduce your risk then get family and friends to do LFTs as close as possible to meeting up and in public spaces wear a good fitting FFP2 mask. For me, I currently have a greater anxiety that there won’t be appropriate care for me or my family in the event of an emergency than I do around getting covid. I also pray that further mutations will be weaker and that the vaccines and new medicines (thanks, scientists!) will mean we can go back to “normality”. Part of me also worries we may get a highly transmissible and more deadly variant.

David Turner ● 1736d

When Tony Blair says you'd have to be an idiot not to take the vaccine... ...

Michael Brown ● 1736d

Today, there was the horrendous report of a woman who was due a renal transplant, but who was denied her operation, because she would need a postoperative intensive care bed which was occupied by an un-vaccinated Covid patient. So the implications of the anti-vaxers gets more serious, what do others think. Incidentally I am a long retired Professor of Medicine.

Michael Preece ● 1736d

The United Kingdom, Scotland and Wales have different rules. United? Terrible for England.

Nicholas Beard ● 1736d

Wales and Scotland playing politics though

Paul Fisher ● 1736d

Hundreds of thousands of covi-bio vaccine adverse reactions have been reported in the UK alone, some of them very serious.How many beds are being taken up in UK hospitals by the covi-bio vax injured?

Michael Brown ● 1736d

That's been the issue. It's the bed blocking that holds up operations. Surgeons and their colleagues spend a lot of time bed haggling with other hospitals.A friend of mine who was an anti vaxer spent weeks in a bed with Covid in a IC unit in Northern Ireland.Personally I'd ship them all to the Isle of Man.

Basil Finnis ● 1736d

The Govt. tell people to wear masks in certain circumstances. A significant number of people choose to ignore them. Not because of the Govt's behaviours, because of their own two-fingers-up attitude.I don't need an edict from the Govt., or anyone else for that matter, to tell me to take some personal responsibility and to stay safe.

Gordon McDonald ● 1736d

“ so fingers crossed more people come forward.”It’s not about “fingers crossed”. It’s about the government taking FIRM action to protect citizens from becoming sick and possibly dying. It’s about leadership not dilly dallying!  This government is a disgrace. The second highest infection rate in Europe yet we must just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

Steve Taylor ● 1736d

Steve: Gordon said "Two fingers up"...not two fingers crossed.Just saying..as Stuart Kerr would say.

Jim Lawes ● 1736d

The government are making very finely balanced decisions and not panicking, good call, as many have said they don’t need to be told how to protect themselves in a pandemic because it is obvious, business has to keep going, mental health, education and some social interaction. I would love to mandate the vaccine for everyone other than medical issues but living in a democracy we can’t.

Jayne Thorburn ● 1736d

Jim, ST was replying to Jayne, not to Gordon. I guess the layout of the CW4 reply tree has claimed another victim.

Richard Greenhough ● 1736d

"When Tony Blair says you'd have to be an idiot not to take the vaccine... ..."Are you referring to the highly respected elder statesman and former Prime Minister, whose grave edicts on matters of public concern should be listened to and obeyed without question by the populace ? Oh no, sorry, you were talking about Tony Blair.

Richard Greenhough ● 1736d

There’s been some interesting debates in the Speccie with a group of Sage academics posting their viewpointThis one sums up the current stay of play“ Given that we could by now have been in lockdown on the strength of scientists' statements at the weekend, many will now be asking why it took British government scientists so long to accept South Africa's research. It is still fairly early days — and none of these studies have yet been peer-reviewed — but the story of Omicron in Britain could be about to take a sharp turn.”https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/can-we-say-that-omicron-is-milder-yet-

Russell Pearson ● 1736d

I have also listened to the lead virologist doing current studies in how the omicron behave in the body. He was saying  that it replicates now in the bronchial tract 70 times more than the alpha variant. However it replicates much less than the alpha in the lungs. He said all variants have tended this way since the alpha but this one is a big jump. This is why it is potentially showing up as less severe in early studies. People going into hospital with this variant may be less likely to progress to needing either intermittent oxygen mask or forced oxygen intake , nevermind progressing to icu. Other factors like age profile and vax status have to be factored in though.

Andrew Craig ● 1736d

JP Morgan have been factoring in for age.https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/is-omicron-really-no-less-severe-a-look-at-south-africa-s-dataHere’s an exchange on the datahttps://mobile.twitter.com/FraserNelson/status/1472183666336059393?s=20

Russell Pearson ● 1736d